BLACKEN IS BACK
We've waited three years for this iconic festival's return and, this month, Blacken's back, along with an exciting addition, Shadows of Uluru.
WORDS ROSIE WILD
THE BLACK WREATH, a music label in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, is behind the heavy metal music festival. Pirate owns and manages the label, and galvanises Blacken's army of friends, artists, and organisers.
"It sounds like a cliché, but [this festival combo] is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Blacken Open Air is a three-day music festival held at Inteye-Arrkwe/ Ross River Resort. It's for anyone who loves the release of intense music, the resonance of riffs echoing in the ranges, and the freedom of creativity and expression that comes with metal's dynamic dichotomy of rebellion and community.
"People love the liberation [of Blacken]. They feel like they're in some sort of wild west, in a way. There's a massive sense of community, I think, this real fundamental connection and a glue between people there," Pirate says.
Blacken is highly regarded by artists and punters alike, and Pirate reckons the desert setting with the option to camp has a lot to do with it.
"I think one of the reasons is, basically, nearly every other [heavy] festival in our country is an indoor kind of pub gig or something. We're the only multi-day camping experience. Everyone's in it together. And it has to do with the whole curation of that, like the flow, you know, of the whole three days," he says.
And, wow, what a flow the line-up is.
The festival warms up with expansive, mind-altering psychedelic stoner rock and doom. It peaks with grindcore, death metal, and black metal. Then it basks in an after-glow of celebration and party.
"[You end up], you know, ecstatic, pulling your mate up from the moshpit, and you look up and you see the best stars you've ever seen in your life, and your senses are being blasted by light and sound, and it's just smiles everywhere and black t-shirts," Pirate says.
In the curation, Pirate and team bring together the cross-section and melting-pot of metal.
"It's a beautiful platform for showcasing diversity, like culture and place.”
International acts include Earthless, a psychedelic-rock, improvisation trio from San Diego, California, widely renowned for their musical compositions and maestro guitarist.
"I think they're gonna open some portals," says Pirate.
There's Uada from Portland, Oregon, with their ritualistic, modern, melodic take on black metal. And from Japan, there's FATE GEAR, an all-female, steampunk, power metal band.
Visiting from interstate is iconic punk rock band Frenzal Rhomb, Battlesnake with over-the-top, ridiculous, theatrical shredding and crowd-surfing in their budgie smugglers, and Blood Duster.
"I got [Blood Duster] to do a reunion after they disbanded, like, eight years ago. They're antagonistic and provocative, but they're also very tongue-in-cheek, but, yeah, a lot of Australian humour in that band," Pirate says.
From the Territory, a few features are teen desert band Mulga Bore Hard Rock – who're about to release an album, just finished a tour, and go around leaving smiles on people's faces – The Holy Dimes from Alice, set to release an album soon, popular powerhouse Fuxache, and Wildfire Manwurrk from Central West Arnhem.
"They play a mixture of 80s heavy metal with yidaki. It always blows my mind, how they're interpreting metal," Pirate says.
There's more, but we can't tell you all about it here, because it's huge.
"Every band brings something that I find completely unique, representing a completely different take on the music or the culture or the genre. Yeah, I mean, the line-up is massive. Could write a book about the line-up!"
As if that wasn't enough, organisers are working closely with local Indigenous community leaders, while international act, Earthless, has routed its whole Australian tour to bring you a second event, Shadow of Uluru.
Pirate and The Black Wreath have a long history with Anangu guitarist, Jeremy Whiskey. For a long time, the team’s been looking for a way to include Anangu community and Country in the itinerary.
"A lot of people only visit [the Centre] once, and they assume [Uluru] is only half-an-hour down the road. So, we wanted to find a way to ferry people out there and give people a dose of this powerful place."
This once-only event brings together four incredible acts. Earthless with their instrumental expanse, Californian band Brant Bjork Trio, Divide and Dissolve, an activist, punk, doom-metal two-piece, with heavy frequencies and good politics for First Nations people. And, of course, Jeremy Whiskey.
Even if this isn't your only chance to get to Uluru, it will be your only chance to experience this coalescing and collision of music, and Pirate reckons, just quietly, it's going to be memorable.
"It's going to be as entertaining as it is educational and, you know, eye-opening. I feel like doing both events back-to-back is something that's going to stick with people for a lifetime."
Blacken Open Air
WHEN FRI 19 - MON 22 SEP SEP
AT INTEYE-ARRKWE/ROSS RIVER RESORT
COST $299.90 | $149.95 YOUTH | $329.90 DELUX | RETURN BUS + $63.25
Shadow of Uluru
WHEN TUE 23 SEP
AT YULARA
COST $333 INCL. DINNER, SHOW, PARK PASS & TWO-NIGHT CAMP. RETURN BUS + $249
Blacken + Shadow of Uluru
COST $666 SELF-DRIVE | $999 TRANSPORT
INFO blackenopenair.com
Image: Monika Oberscheven-Smith
